Best Planetary Romance Anime, Ranked

Not to be confused with love and relationships, planetary romance is a subgenre of sci-fi that focuses on long journeys, the discovery of new worlds, or the everyday lives of humans or aliens. It is also about the adventure of visiting and discovering new and amazing worlds. Anime series that focus on this type of storytelling is quite scarce, but here are some great examples for those looking to check out an example of this genre.

These eight planetary romance anime series are ones that every fan of the sci-fi genre must watch at least once. From a classic of all time that remains the best example of planetary romance, to one of the most infamous sci-fi anime series that has ever been created.

8 Super Dimension Fortress Macross

The Father Of The Genre, And Mother Of Idols

Macross (also known as Robotech) represents the very best of the Planetary Romance genre, with a deep emphasis on the romance part. A cross-generational saga of mankind entering the Golden Age of space exploration and leaving Earth to conquer the Galaxy. In their journey, they will discover many allies, foes, and the secret behind the technology they have repurposed to try and become a Galactic Civilization.

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A love letter to classics of Sci-Fi, created by Akira Inoue and Hiroshi Iwata, and written by the legendary Kenichi Matsuzaki. This series not only marks a before and after in the history of sci-fi anime (and in Japanese animation in general) but also created one of the most iconic tropes of Japanese pop culture: The Idols. The figure of Lynn Min-May up to this day is considered the mother of all Idols in the anime culture and alongside Rick Hunter, the avatars of space romance in animation.

7 Cowboy Bebop

A Doomed Love Story Across Alien Worlds

A legend among fans of the neo-noir genre and action westerns, Cowboy Bebop is a doomed romance story of a man, his past love, and the woman who is trying to convince him to let go. All in all, the adventure of Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew is a planetary romance, with high doses of drama, tragedy, and action.

Throughout 26 episodes of thrilling sequences, the series narrates the story of how a former mobster became a bounty hunter, traveling across beautiful (and dangerous) worlds chasing down fugitives and trying to make a living. The personal stories of each character, their motivations, and deepest darkest secrets are told to the rhythm of Jazz. Sadly, this is a series that is way too short, but that is precisely its charm since the story comes full-circle without the need for endless renewal.

6 Space Pirate Captain Harlock

In An Era Where Humanity Has Stagnated, Exploring Space Is The Highest Form Of Rebellion

Also known as The Adventures of Captain Harlock (or simply Captain Harlock) this series depicts a future where Mankind has abandoned all ambition for galactic expansion, and has instead turned to debauchery, making society stagnate into a hyper-capitalist dystopia. In this era where nothing new comes without a price tag, several men decide to pick up their spaceships and turn to the stars in search of the unknown. This act of rebellion against the establishment becomes a treath to the corpo-governments, and they decide to tag these intrepid fellows as “Space Pirates.”

Aboard his faithful ship Arcadia, Harlock and his crew cross the deep voids of the solar system in search for answers, while a boy who has been robbed of his father swores revenge against a mysterious race known as the Amazons, who are planning to invade Earth. All in all, this anime series is a good old-fashioned planetary romance, with high doses of nostalgia and classic sci-fi tropes. A timeless masterpiece that fans of sci-fi anime shouldn’t miss.

5 Outlaw Star

A Classic Fantasy Treasure Hunt Tale, In Space

For those who understand how 90’s anime works around balancing comedy and drama, Outlaw Star is more or less like the Slayers of planetary romance sci-fi anime. It does not only have a similar style, but also deals with serious events in a lighthearted and positive mood as well. This story is about a group of misfits that roam the stars (and planets) on board their Mercenary Space Ship looking for the mythical Galactic Dragon Ley Line, a place that is said to be abundant in treasure and other resources.

If fans found “Planet of the Treasure” appealing, then this series has all of the good aspects of the movie (and more). Narrated from a morally gray perspective, and without too many roundabouts, the series is an epic of 26 episodes. A Jewel of the time when anime was short and explosive and could be binge-watched in a sit.

4 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes

A Powerful And Heartbreaking Planetary Romance

Humanity has expanded to the far corners of the Milky Way, terraforming everything in its wake, creating marvelous worlds filled to the brim with beauty and danger. Two opposing forces struggle for the control of all human-made civilizations: one is the Galactic Empire, and the other is the Free Planets Alliance, formed from a branch of mankind’s finest who managed to escape by going deeper into the far corners of the galaxy.

In a setting where galactic war is unavoidable, heroes will rise, new alliances will be forged, and even a cult will emerge, calling for all lost lambs born of humanity to return to their origins. A series with so much to tell that it is impossible to summarize in a few words, and a must-watch for every fan of sci-fi anime.

3 Knights of Sidonia

The Last Bastion Of Mankind Is Defended By Mecha Pilots

Sidonia No Kishi is a fantastic anime series about spacefaring. It has a deep root in the post-Macross culture and has been universally recognized as its rightful heir. Though, many also believe it has an identity of its own, due to the ties of the plot with transhumanism and biopunk. In this epic of 24 episodes, we follow a mecha pilot, born from the lower statuses of Sidonia: a society constructed with the remains of planet Earth after this has been destroyed by a mysterious alien race.

In a society that has evolved beyond gender barriers, love, and even romance, the conflict against the Gauna will spark a sudden change among the inhabitants of this planetary-ship. Much like in Macross, we witness a true Planetary Romance, and a story of survival against an impossible-to-beat enemy: extinction.

2 Astra: Lost In Space

A Return Home Story, From Unknown Regions Of Space

A group of young and talented students is stranded in an abandoned spaceshift, and set adrift on an unknown region of space. They will have to do whatever it takes to return back home, and survive the perilous journey through strange and dangerous worlds.

A planetary romance that mixes the best of Macross with a lot of iconic sci-fi tropes. Mysteries to unravel, the vastness and solitude of open space, a dangerous saboteur endangering the crew, and many twists in this thrilling adventure across the stars.

1 Vandread

In A Dystopian Future, Man And Women Need To Learn To Coexist Again

Vandread has become infamous for various reasons: when it was released, it proposed a uni-gender society where men lived with men and married each other, while women married women and did the same. The only way of having children was through parthenogenesis, and this was so rare that the very sight of a baby human was something absolutely befuddling. When a low-rank mechanic from the slums tries to steal a combat robot, and ends up getting in the middle of a space battle between the crew members of an invading ship from the rival planet of Mejere.

Little does he know, that his foolish act will put in motion a series of events that will cause women and men to mingle again after centuries, and expose a deep-dark secret about the Original Colonists who had a very good reason to separate men from women. This polarizing planetary romance is quite good (narratively speaking), but it was pretty avant-garde for the time it was released. Nowadays, it will also be frowned upon due to certain topics it deals with, and for its excessive fan service. So, it has gained both followers and detractors: you either love it or hate it.

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